Commenting on the announcement of a new Fair Pay Agreement for care workers, Dr Rhidian Hughes, Chief Executive of the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) says:
'The Voluntary Organisations Disability Group has long campaigned for better recognition and reward for social care workers and the essential contributions they make to improving the lives of millions of disabled people. The announced consultation is a positive step forward for our highly valued adult social care workforce who day in and day out fulfil a vital public service.
‘The consultation presents an important opportunity for everyone to have their say and to ensure the proposals work for the breadth and diversity of the social care sector.
‘Disability services are almost entirely funded by the state. Without sufficient public funding to ensure local authorities can cover the full costs of the workforce, we will continue to be caught in a loop of increasing costs without additional public funding being made available. This is just one of a number of issues that we, alongside our partners, have been making to the Department of Health and Social Care in the run up to today’s welcome announcement.
'VODG looks forward to working with our members - voluntary sector organisations working alongside and providing care, support and advice for disabled people - to respond to the consultation once the accessible versions and impact assessment has been published in the coming weeks.'